TYPICAL OWLS: Family Strtgtdae [35}] 



Saw-whet Owl: 



Cryftoglaux acadica acadica (Gmelin) 



DESCRIPTION. "Adults: Eye ring whitish, face streaked with dark brown; under parts 

 white, streaked vertically with reddish brown, most thickly on breast; upper parts olive 

 brown, marked with white, finely streaked on head, and coarsely streaked or 

 spotted on back, wings, and tail; feet plain white or huffy. Young: face blackish, in 

 sharp contrast to white eyebrows and white malar streak; upper parts and breast 

 plain dark seal brown; wings and tail as in adult; belly yellowish brown. Length: 

 7.15-8.50, wing 5.2.5-5.90, tail 2.. 80-3. 15." (Bailey) Nest: A deserted woodpecker 

 hole, old squirrel nest, or hollow tree. Eggs: 3 to 7, white. 



DISTRIBUTION. General: Breeds from southern Alaska, British Columbia, Alberta, 

 Manitoba, Quebec, and Nova Scotia south to California, Mexico, Nebraska, the 

 Great Lake States, and Maryland. Winters through most of breeding range and 

 south to Gulf of Georgia. In Oregon: Uncommon but widely distributed resident. 



ALTHOUGH the little Saw-whet Owl is not common anywhere in Oregon, 

 it has been recorded throughout the State since Townsend's time. Most 

 of the reports have been of actual specimens taken, including one at The 

 Dalles (Cooper and Suckley 1860), several specimens at Camp Harney 

 (Bendire 1877), one i n tne Willamette Valley (Johnson 1880), one at Fort 

 Klamath (Merrill 1888), specimens at Corvallis (Woodcock 1902.), and a 

 nest reported from Camp Harney, May 2., 1881 (Bendire 1891). There is 

 one skin in the Biological Survey collection from Malheur County (Octo- 

 ber 1916), and there are three in the Overton Dowell, Jr., collection 

 taken in Lane County (June i, November 3, and December 12.). In addi- 

 tion to the above, we have or have seen skins from Douglas, Umatilla, 

 Malheur, Benton, Tillamook, Multnomah, and Jackson Counties. This 

 little owl is so small and usually so inconspicuous when perched in the 

 heart of a dense tree that it can easily be passed by, something that no 

 doubt frequently occurs. 



